Several infections are successfully combated by the immune system of a mammal such as a human being. However, in some instances, bacteria, fungi, or viruses are not always cleared, which may cause localised or generalised acute infections. This is a serious concern at perinatal-, burn, or intensive care units, and in immunocompromised individuals. In other cases, a continuous bacterial persistence at epithelial surfaces may cause or aggravate chronic disease. In humans, this is exemplified by chronic skin ulcers, atopic dermatitis and other types of eczema, acne, or genitourinary infections. For example, there is now considerable evidence that colonization or infection with the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus is a triggering or exacerbating factor in atopic dermatitis. Approximately 90% of all atopic dermatitis patients are colonized or infected by S. aureus whereas only 5% of healthy individuals harbour that bacterium Superantigens produced by the bacteria stimulate keratinocytes and T-lymfocytes, and trigger the inflammatory process. The inflammation leads to an impaired skin barrier function.
Symptomatic infections may be treated by various medicaments. Some diseases may also be combated by for instance vaccines. However, vaccines are not always the best treatment option and for certain microorganisms no vaccine is available. When no protection is available treatment of the disease is pursued. Often the treatment is performed by the use of an antibiotic agent, which kills the microbe. However, during the last years several microbes have become resistant against anti-biotic agents. Most likely, resistance problems will increase in the near future. Additionally, several individuals have developed allergy against the antibiotic agent, thereby reducing the possibility to effectively use certain antibiotic agents.
Epithelial surfaces of various organisms are continuously exposed to bacteria. During recent years the innate immune system, based on antibacterial peptides has been attributed important roles in the initial clearance of bacteria at biological boundaries susceptible to infection (Lehrer, R. I., and Ganz, T. (1999) Curr Opin Immunol 11: 23-27, Boman, H. G. (2000) Immunol. Rev. 173, 5-16). Molecules kill bacteria by permeating their membranes, and thus the lack of a specific molecular microbial target minimises resistance development.
Several peptides and proteins, unrelated to the herein, described peptides are known in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,503,881 disclose cationic peptides being an indolicidin analogue to be used as a molecule. The cationic peptides being derived from different species, including animals and plants.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,912,230 disclose anti-fungal and anti-bacterial histatin-based peptides. The peptides being based on defined portions of the amino acid sequences of naturally occurring human histatins and methods for treatment of fungal and bacterial infections.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,717,064 disclose methylated lysine-rich lytic peptides. The lytic peptides being tryptic digestion resistant and non-natural. The lytic peptides are suitable for in vivo administration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,646,014 disclose a peptide. The peptide was isolated from an antimicrobial fraction from silkworm hemolymph. The peptide exhibits excellent antimicrobial activity against several bacterial strains, such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. 
WO2004016653 discloses a peptide based on the 20-44 sequence of azurocidin. This peptide contains a loop structure linked by disulfide bridges.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,495,516 and related patents, disclose peptides based on the bactericidal 55 kDa protein bactericidal/permeability increasing protein (BPI). The peptides exerted antimicrobial effects as well as had LPS-neutralising capacity.
WO 01/81578 discloses numerous sequences encoding G-coupled protein-receptor related polypeptides, which may be used for numerous diseases.
At present, over 700 different peptide sequences are known (www.bbcm.univ.trieste.it/˜tossi/search.htm), including cecropins, defensins magainins and cathelicidins.
Even though there are a relatively large number of peptides available today there is still an increased need of new improved peptides, which can be used to combat microbes, microbes which are resistant or tolerant against antibiotic agents and/or other antimicrobial agents. More importantly, there is a need for new molecules, which are non-allergenic when introduced into mammals such as human beings. Bacteria have encountered endogenously produced molecules during evolution without induction of significant resistance.